Olds, Alberta to Golden, to Kamloops, to Abbotsford, to Vancouver Island, to Abbotsford, to Quesnel, to Jasper to…  HOME.

• 3233 km
• 41.5 hours of driving
• 13 days
• speaking in two churches
• 1200+ photos to sort
• lots of memories with the kids!

We had a really great trip to the Left Coast to visit family, friends and supporters all along the way. It was a very busy trip with us on the road most days, but we did get a few chances to see the sights with the kids. Some of the highlights for the kids were the ferry ride to Vancouver Island and back, seeing fish and an octopus at the Undersea Gardens and seeing harbour seals in Victoria, taking Ellie to Lighthouse Park in North Vancouver, going to the pool in Quesnel, and meeting many new friends and little kids along the way. One of the biggest things for them was just being able to run around outside where it was warmer, even if it was raining much of the time. Reality hit when we came home to fresh snow…

We were able to share our ministry in two churches, one in Kamloops where an old friend is now a pastor, and the following Sunday in Quesnel. We also handed out quite a few GoodSeed books along the way. We were encouraged and refreshed anew as we visited with many along the way.

The kids did really well with the long hours in the car. Naomi worked hard to prepare fun stuff for the trip and each driving day they got a new activity or toy to play with. Watching DVDs also helped! We did have a problem on the last day of the trip when a stomach bug hit kids first, then us, while we were still hours away from home. All I’ll say about that is that I’m glad we had the forethought to bring large zip-lock bags.

We were very thankful to God for safety and no vehicle problems as we took to the road, especially going over several high mountain passes. We are also thankful to all those who opened their houses for us along the way. It was great to visit with family and friends, many of whom we haven’t seen in years. Thank you, Lord, for a great trip!

The Bible tells us a man from Macedonia who spoke to Paul the Apostle in a dream, asking him for help. In the same spirit, Richard Flemming, a missionary in the Democratic Republic of  Congo, is asking GoodSeed to come and give him a hand. You will see that the opportunities are overwhelming–it is hard to know where to start.

Here is a short video in which Richard explains the needs in the Congo and why he would like GoodSeed help him in his ministry to the Congolese people.

Lord willing, this summer five of our staff will be joining Richard (former Director of FEBInternational) and his wife Brenda in the Democratic Republic of Congo. I will not be on this trip, but we are looking forward to hearing the results of this opportunity. Richard just recently put this video out for us just a few days ago, and last night one of our staff received an email, which stated in part:

“God has made me really excited about this incredible opportunity. …..I’m going to take $10,000 out of my savings. ….. What a privilege to be a part of what He’s doing!”

The email went on to state the donor was giving $10,000 with the request that we challenge other believers to help match it.  Praise the Lord!

If you would like to help GoodSeed minister in the Congo, please visit www.goodseed.com/donate/

Troy & Naomi

The last few weeks I have been spending time preparing for some upcoming video projects and trips that GoodSeed staff will be taking. Part of my preparations has been the very fun task of shopping for shiny gadgetry! We are needing some new video gear to help us accomplish some of our goals, so I have been researching new video monitors, audio equipment, lights and other gear. “Why?” you ask.

Newish camera – really old monitors…

At over 15 lbs (without batteries) and more than a foot long, these monitors are not exactly portable. Nor are they HD, like our newer cameras. These old monitors have seen lots of action (no pun intended) and have traveled a lot more than I have. Built in 1989, they have been used for a number of our older videos, going back to Ee-Taow.

I will be donating them to the growing collection of the GoodSeed Museum of Old Clunker Video Equipment by replacing them with some new, lighter LCD monitors that can be either mounted on-camera or used by a director.

Image from Marshall Electronics

In the past we have missed shots because of problems we just couldn’t see in the small flip-out screens on the cameras. Mounting something like these on-camera or having a director looking at them would help avoid lost shots, time and money. These new monitors also can use the same batteries as our cameras, make it easy to take them on the road.

We are also getting a new broadcast quality cordless mic to supplement the one we have for an upcoming, two-person, testimonial video shoot we are doing in a few months. Other things include an addition to our portable light kit, cables and other small equipment we are needing.

A large portable softbox light. Image from Lowel. Chair sold separately.

Why all the new gear? We have some big projects happening here in our video studio, but also some important trips coming up in the next few years. Portability is key, as different members of our staff will be flying with some of this stuff around the world, Lord willing.

• May 2011 – To Ontario to record a salvation story to be a part of our upcoming Worldview Rethink DVD projects.
• June 2011 – Missionaries Richard and Brenda Flemming working with FEBInternational (Richard was the former Director of FEBInternational) have asked us to help them in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and some others on our staff will be making a first trip there this summer. More on this trip soon.
• Fall 2011 – United Kingdom?
• 2012 – India, South Korea, Singapore.

Whenever we take these kind of trips we try to film some of the testimonials that we hear about how GoodSeed resources are being used locally to share the Gospel. It is always encouraging for our staff and supporters to hear these stories. Lord willing, I will be on at least a few of these trips and will have some video to share with you.

Troy & Naomi

The first month of 2011 is coming to a close and, around GoodSeed, the pace of things is picking up again as our staff get settled into our office and projects start moving forward again.

• A teachers guide for The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus is formatted and almost ready for print.
• Many hours of work by some of our staff are paying huge dividends, with several foundations providing us with the funds for translations. For example, a project we have had with the Bible Society in Israel to fund a Hebrew translation of By This Name is now fully funded!
• With a true audio studio, work can begin again on our Lamb VBS music.
• Visual Aids for our upcoming Worldview Rethink curriculum are getting closer to production.
• I am preparing to start filming Worldview Rethink training material in our new video studio in the next few months.

As for me, I’ve been burning through the video tapes lately, picking up projects from before our office construction and putting together a collection of short interviews that we have recorded about our GoodSeed evangelism resources and seminars. There are now plenty of them available at our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/goodseed. Here are a few short examples:

A video I shot a few years ago in Edinburgh with a Pastor and his wife sharing about how they used The Lamb with their children.

On the same trip to the UK, I helped teach an evangelism seminar in London. Here is a short testimony from a pastor who shared about what he learned from the seminar:

Andrew was another of the attendees at the seminar, and here is his take on it: